Input devices including proximity sensor devices (also commonly called touchpads or touch sensor devices) are widely used in a variety of electronic systems. A proximity sensor device typically includes a sensing region, often demarked by a surface, in which the proximity sensor device determines the presence, location and/or motion of one or more input objects. Proximity sensor devices may be used to provide interfaces for the electronic system. For example, proximity sensor devices are often used as input devices for larger computing systems (such as opaque touchpads integrated in, or peripheral to, notebook or desktop computers). Proximity sensor devices are also often used in smaller computing systems (such as touch screens integrated in cellular phones).
Some input devices also have the ability to detect and determine force applied to a sensing surface, in addition to determining positional information. However, such input devices cannot provide different types of input, such as pointing and key entry without a mode switch. This limits the flexibility and usability of the input device. Thus, there exists a need for an input device that enhances device flexibility and usability by using both force and positional information to capture different types of user input without requiring the use of a mode switch.